How You Remind Me
by Peanut Butter makes Diamonds
Summary: A weird little incident and a theory on how individual Guardians are created (I have not read either of the prequels). An old Searcher romance and just a bit of randomness. From Bryn's point of view. [One shot]


**Just a small random story that will not leave me alone- which is why I'm posting it here. Putting it to rest, that's what I think of it's as. After this, it'll be in it's grave and peaceful. Just leave me to it.**

**Thanks for reading- Hope I don't hurt your brain too much.**

**Disclaimer; By no means, do I own Nightshade. I think that's pretty obvious.**

* * *

**Bryn's Point of View.**

It all started about a week ago with the searchers; It had been two days since we had picked up the second part of the elemental cross, and I was wondering the halls, unsure of just what to do with myself.

I could feel a prickling in the back of my neck, the same I always got when I was watched. After the same feeling all the way down the spring-like Haldis corridor, I decided to act on it. I turned, not really expecting anybody to be there. But nether the less, I caught the scent of cut grass, marker pens, and someone that reminded me distinctly of bacon. Mm... _bacon_.

But anyway; The sight that awaited me was nothing extraordinary. Standing in one of the doorways at the end of the hall, was a rather elderly man, with deep wrinkles covering his face, a simple wooden walking stick and a certain glint in his steely grey eyes. His hair was anything but non-existent (like the average old man), instead shaggy and almost completely covering up both his ears and eyes. It was a thin white (apparently he still got _that_ old man feature) with deep grey streaks that I could only guess used to be black.

He smiled at me.

Not in a creepy manner, but not necessarily as if I were a friend of his, either. He seemed almost wistful, some unknown emotion filling his eyes.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was taught to respect my elders (and often found myself lacking a few braincells due to a good ol' whack around the head when I failed to do so) but I wasn't entirely sure of just what to do in this odd situation.

"Uh... Did you need anything, Sir?" I found myself inquiring hesitantly.

He chuckled in response. "Not at all, lass." He paused for a moment, catching my gaze against his. "You have her eyes, you know. The same deep brown, like melted chocolate, but with a hint of gold and flecks of the purest green".

I blinked stupidly. "Oh... thanks, I guess?" I replied, sounding questioning, even to my own ears.

He just chuckled again. "You remind me so much of her... I've seen you around before, with your pack. You have her loyalty, that spark in your eye. The same one she did".

Before I could utter another bewildered reply, the sound of yet another pair of footsteps rushed down the hallway in out direction.

I didn't have to turn to see who it was, as the flash of black hair and stormy grey eyes had already passed me and was working to usher the bringer of confusion back through the doorway he had seemingly appeared from in the first place. I say seemingly because I honestly hadn't been paying the slightest thread of attention before out weird little conversation.

"Come on, grandpa, back inside" the familiar newcomer muttered, gently pushing the elder back through the doorway.

Searcher senior sighed. "If I must, Ethan".

With that, he traipsed back through the doorway, Ethan on his tail.

_Hm. Wonder if him and Sabine have gone at it yet._

* * *

It was 2 weeks later, and still no success on the third piece of the cross that I encountered the odd man again.

The day started off normal, though I woke up in wolf form.

_Huh_, I thought, as I carefully disentangled myself from the torn covers. _What a nice start to the day_.

I didn't bother shifting back to human- no time for that! Instead, I went to visit Ansel. I can't really explain my emotions towards him at the time... I loved him more than ever, but there was such a deep sadness residing within me at seeing him the way he had been; Cheeks sunken, black bags between his eyes, almost comatose and without the will to even try any more.

In my opinion, I would rather be under the keepers control, shackled up in a freezing dungeon, pain radiating through my entire body as I was enveloped in a deep black smoke, than see him like _that_- and know there was nothing I could do.

Anyway, back to the point.

After just a quick run through the academy, I arrived at Ansel's door. It wasn't too far from mine, actually. Like I said, a quick run. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I shouldered the door open, not bothering to shift and knock as I trotted up to the bed, pressing my nose to Ansel's cool cheek as I would most mornings. When he made no response, I took on a small wolfy frown.

Yawning, I let my wolf form slip away. Or at least, I_ tried_ to; I _couldn't_. I whimpered, quickly panicking as I realised I could no longer access my human side.

Trying to push my slightly hysteria into the back of my mind, I propped my front paws up on the edge of his bed, gently licking his cheek.

He still made no response. Before I had time to make another action, the door behind me swung open, slamming into the wall.

My head swung quickly, fur along my back settling back down as I took in the new occupants of Ansel's room.

Anika was first in, the rest of my pack filtering in behind her, all in wolf form- minus Shay, who was human, and looking rather distraught.

"Oh, Bryn, you're already here. Good" Anika sighed in relief. I gave a sharp bark, the rest of the pack looking up to her expectantly, Shay wording what I'm sure the rest of us would've had we been able to. "What the hell's going on, Anika?".

She sat down carefully, clearing her throat. "Well. Do you remember when Ansel first came here, and we said about not being able to give him back his wolf, as that requires killing?". She continued after our nods. "Well, it goes both ways. You-" She motioned to all of us, the only one left out being Shay, "-are wolves. Before the human, that's what you are. So basically, to get Guardians, Keepers must kill a human. They don't give the wolf the human's body; just the human's essence, if that's what you would call it. The spirit, almost, that declares it human beyond anything physical. The body just comes to them. Most of the time, the keepers will just kill a random human that they deem right for it. Other times, well, they use Searchers, the ones lost in battle. That's what happens to the Fallen." She swallowed hard. "There body's are there, taken over to use in war, but the human essence that even witches have- They take it. They don't always have use for it straight away, but eventually, they use them for new Guardians, one way or another. Almost the literal definition of keeping souls in a jar. Every now and again, very rarely and clearly not before in your life time, that part of a Guardian will separate, free to wonder as a spirit. That's what's happening now- It's not permanent. After any time from a few hours, to a few days, they'll return and you'll be back to normal. Shay, since you were human and it was the wolf part given to you, for now, you're just human. And Ansel... He was a wolf originally, even now he's purely human, the human essence still splits. So for now, he'll be like this; Not ill, but in an almost coma. As long as he's still kept hydrated and given food, he'll be completely back to normal when the few days end. It's rather odd, I know, but it's the truth. I'll notify the rest of the Searchers now, just in case".

Apparently that was all, because she was off again, sweeping from the room in an almost dramatic motion.

* * *

It was the next day, and I found myself wandering the halls again, only this time as a lithe brown wolf.

I heard a familiar chuckle. My furred head snapped up. It was the same rather elderly man from the other day- Ethan's grandpa. Hm.

He sighed, seemingly to himself. "So much like her" He repeated his words from our last encounter, the wistful tone even more pronounced.

His eyes gentle, he slowly began to turn, his breath visibly catching as he gazed at something I clearly couldn't.

He lifted a hand, slight tremors racking through his body. He kept his hand there, lifted in the air, eyes wide.

I shifted, confused as to just what was happening. I froze completely as a ray of sunlight pierced the area he was staring at- I saw it. There, standing in front of him, was a girl. She must have been in her twenties; Even in grey-scale, I could tell she was beautiful, with long curly locks trailing all the way to her mid-back, and the face and body any girl would dream of. She was faint- It seemed almost as if she would disappear were I to blink. Her hand was lifted up too; Her fingers threaded through his and their eyes locked together.

She turned her head slightly, her saddened expression portraying a deep pain. "Forever." Was the simple word she spoke, before she began to fade, becoming fainter and fainter until she disappeared completely. I felt something return to me, a part of me I didn't miss, yet was used to being there.

His expression was enough to break my heart as he let his hand fall to his side.  
"Forever".

* * *

I thought I wouldn't remember, those fatal moments when I felt my human form slip away for the last time.

But I did.

I remembered everything, as I watched the spirit that had enabled me to live the way I had for so long, the Searcher who had fallen in battle, leaving her love to fend without her. I watched as she drifted from me, towards the loving caress of the man who had leapt in front of me during the last battle, saving me from the vicious jaws of a huge Bane wolf. I remember as I saw the teeth cut through his neck, tearing right through. I remember the glint fading from his eye. And I watched, more at peace with myself than I had ever been, as they linked ghostly fingers, the girl with the hazel eyes and the young-again man who loved her. Who had died for someone she was linked with. I watched as they exchanged a gentle kiss and she gave me one last wave, before simply fading out.

And then...

I let go of everything.

* * *

**It's 00:59 in the morning, I'm tired and I don't know where this idea came from.**

**Excuse me.**

**At least it's in it's grave now. **

**What the hell, mind? **


End file.
